The instant invention relates to athletic equipment for children, and more particularly to a baseball glove which is adapted for use by a young child.
The sport of baseball has been found to be extremely popular with members of virtually all age groups, including relative young children. However, it has been found that in many instances young children are unable to actively participate in either the sport of baseball or in baseball-related activities, such as games of "catch", due to their general lack of coordination and manual dexterity. Further, it has been found that the heretofore available baseball gloves have generally not been adapted to better enable young children to participate in baseball related activities. Hence, there is a need for a baseball glove construction which is effectively adapted to enable young children to participate in baseball related activities, such as games of catch.
Baseball gloves representing the closest prior art to the subject invention of which the applicant is aware are disclosed in the KING U.S. Pat. Nos. 962,438; CLINE, 1,003,031; KING, 1,072,012; LE MAT, 2,200,204; OLIVER et al, 2,510,246; WELLS, JR., 2,902,693; and MUCHNICK, 3,953,030. However, while these references disclose a variety of different types of baseball gloves, they generally fail to address the need for a baseball glove which is effectively adapted for use by young children; and hence they are believed to be of only general interest with respect to the subject invention.
The instant invention provides an effective baseball glove construction which is adapted to enable a young child to more easily catch a ball, such as a relatively soft, child's baseball. Specifically, the instant invention provides a baseball glove comprising a hand member which is preferably made in a fabric-covered, padded construction and comprises a palm section, a thumb section, a finger section, including a plurality of connected side-by-side finger elements, and a webbing section connecting the thumb section to the next adjacent finger element. The baseball glove further comprises a pocket member which is preferably made in a fabric-covered, padded construction and extends from a point adjacent the outer extremity of the thumb section, downwardly along the front side of the thumb section, across the base portion of the palm section, upwardly along the front side of the outermost finger element, and across the front sides of the finger elements adjacent the outer extremities thereof to a point adjacent the webbing section. At least those portions of the pocket member which extend downwardly along the front side of the thumb section, across the base portion of the palm section, and upwardly along the front side of the outermost finger element, have an average cross-sectional diameter of at least approximately one inch, and the pocket member preferably has an average cross-sectional diameter of at least approximately one inch along its entire extent; although the pocket member preferably tapers in its extent across the finger elements. The baseball glove preferably further comprises a retaining member which extends in forwardly spaced relation to the palm section between the portion of the pocket member which extends along the front side of the thumb section and the portion of the pocket member which extends along the front side of the outermost finger element. The retaining member is preferably also made in a fabric-covered, padded construction, and it is preferably detachably secured to the retaining member. Further, the pocket member preferably includes the hook portions of a pair of hook-and-pile type fastening assemblies which are engageable with the pile fabric of the pocket member to detachably secure the retaining member thereon. The retaining member preferably also has an average diameter of at least approximately one inch, and it is preferably also of fabric-covered, padded construction. The hand member is preferably adapted for receiving a normal adult-size hand therein so that the thumb and fingers of the hand are received in the thumb and finger sections, respectively, of the hand member. However, the hand member preferably further comprises an inner fabric or leather positioning member which defines a reduced mitten-shaped area behind the palm section so that the glove can be alternatively worn by a child with the child's hand positioned behind the palm section.
It has been found that the baseball glove of the subject invention can be effectively utilized by a young child for playing baseball related games of catch. In this regard, it has been found that the pocket member effectively forms a permanent pocket in the glove so that a young child can more easily catch and retain a ball therein. Further, the retaining member is operative for partially enclosing the lower portion of the pocket formed by the pocket member in order to further enable a young child to easily catch and retain a ball in the glove. However, because the retaining member is detachably secured to the pocket member, the baseball glove can be initially used by a young child with the retaining member in place and; thereafter, when the child has developed a certain level of skill at utilizing the glove, the retaining member can be removed so that the glove can be utilized in a manner similar to a conventional baseball glove.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an effective baseball glove which is adapted for use by a relatively young child.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a baseball glove having a retaining member thereon to enable the glove to be more effectively utilized by a young child.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a baseball glove having a detachable retaining member thereon.
An even further object of the instant invention is to provide a baseball glove comprising a pocket member which is operative for forming a permanent pocket in the glove, and a detachable retaining member which is operative for enclosing the lower portion of the pocket in order to more effectively retain a ball therein.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.